34 THE NAUTILUS. 



Aittalia, and a valuable link in the phylogenetic history of that group ; 

 and it is fortunate that the material fell into the hands of so compe- 

 tent a naturalist as Dr. Babor. H. A. P. 



AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION DEPARTMENT. 



[Conducted in the interest of the Isaac Leu Conchological Chapter of the 

 Agassiz Association, by its Gemra.1 Secretary, Dr. VV. S. tetrode.] 



SHELLS AND MASTODON. 



[Extract from the report of Mr. W. Ilille.s Smith, Niles, Mich. From the Trans- 

 itions ol the Isaac Lea Conchological Chapter for 1899.] 



action 



Since my last report I have had the pleasure of gathering shells 

 that were cohabitant with the Mastodon. About two miles west and 

 a little north of the village of Buchanan, Berrien Co., Mich., is what 

 is known as the Bakertown Marsh. In company with Prof. E. H. 

 Frane, of Colon, Mich., who was hunting for remains of the Mas- 

 todon, I was hunting for remains of the mollusks, each in pursuit 

 of his own hobby. The marsh had in former years been a lake about 

 three miles long and one mile Avide, and is now grown up to marsh 

 grass without a sign of a tree in it anywhere, but in our excavations 

 and along the large ditch was a layer or stratum of timber or drift 

 wood, if such it might be called. The main part of our search was 

 along the large ditch which is fully a mile long and runs through the 

 middle of the marsh, mside for the purpose of draining it, and all 

 along on both sides of this ditch this layer of drift wood could be 

 plainly seen. At one place was to be seen a large stone which would 

 measure fully a cubic yard, lying right on top of this drift, and its 

 weight had depressed the wood fully eight inches, showing unmistak- 

 able evidence of glacial drift. Some of the timber was as large as 

 six inches in diameter, but the most of it was small and closely re- 

 sembled ourHblack oak of to-day. Commencing at the top and read- 

 ing down, the strata appear as follows: Marsh bog, 16 inches. 

 Recent peat, 20 inches. Peat and drift wood, 10 inches. Lake silt 

 with no whole shells, 8 inches. Semi-ligneous peat, 12 inches. Shells 

 and lake drift, 8 inches. Blue clay, 7 inches. Quick sand, 7 to 10 

 feet. 



